Hawk Pinnacle, 5.5-5.11

Overview/Approach

Hawk Pinnacle is home to four of the better single pitch trad routes in the entire Stronghold:  Book of Andy, 5,10***, Name Unknown, 5.9PG*** (dike route on the south face), Crossroads Chimney, 5.10****, and Learning to Fly, 5.11****.   The local guide calls Crossroads Chimney 5.8, but the author is describing finishing out on the right face and escaping the final chimney.  That makes no sense because that is by far the most challenging and fun part of the climb, presenting a true squeeze that is well protected with small to med gear.  Learning to Fly is a trad climbers dream by Cochise standards where bolts are common.  One can place every part of a single rack starting out at #5 down to micro cams near the end.  Sustained movement the whole way up an arcing corner just left of Crossroads Chimney.  There is also a cool unnamed dike climb on the south face of Hawk Pinnacle at 5.9PG. Its starts out in a crack and turns into a pure vertical dike.  An amazing feature by Cochise standards.  It climbs like a ride at Disney World.   Book of Andy is an amazing wider crack on the west face that deals with two roofs and is sustained for the grade.  A great off-width on Upper Lost Tower’s west face, just across the way from Hawk's east face, is Half Ass, 5.10****.  Combined, these five routes make one of the best days available at the grade (5.10-11) in Cochise.

There are two ways to reach Hawk Pinnacle, from In the Shadows Trail circumventing Maybe Pinnacle and Lost Towers or from Rockfellow’s north face staging area.  If from Maybe Pinnacle, circumvent Maybe and Lost Towers to the north.  At the north end of Maybe’s east wall is an unmarked 4^th class handrail that cuts west avoiding brush.  Then follow a well-established (2023) cairned and log trail (logs bolted to rock to form bridges) to the west.  Circumvent both lower and upper Lost Towers.  There will be bolted routes on your left.  Continue along the base of the walls to a low angled portion of slick rock.  Scramble up it to a vista, then turn left along the west face of upper Lost Tower where you can now get a glimpse of Hawk Pinnacle deep in the canyon as well as the popular route Forest Lawn on the east face of Bastion Towers directly to the west.  Stay in the gully heading southwest and scramble up and right at the dead end to the trail that travels south from Forest Lawn.  Continue scrambling south through boulders and trees until you can slip down below the east face of Hawk Pinnacle at a left fork.  Crossroads Chimney is easily identifiable on the center of the east face.  Learning to Fly is just to the left of it.  Half Ass is just across on the northwest corner of Upper Lost Tower.  You can easily circumvent the south face for unnamed vertical dike route (it is obvious) and continue through a hole up and west to reach the chasm between Buzzard's Roost and Hawk Pinnacle to reach Book of Andy.

Routes Listed Right to Left on the East Face as you Approach

Hot Mess- 5.11-/

Bar Exam- 5.11/

Crossroads Chimney- 160’-5.10****/ This is the best moderate chimney pitch located in the Stronghold.  Grade wise, this is not a lot different than any chimneys I have climbed in the towers around Moab rated 5.10 and of course is way stouter than 5.8 chimneys at Red Rock, i.e. Epinephrine.  The local guidebook author does not typically lead trad routes and no doubt 2nded this one if she climbed it at all.  Therefore, her description talks about exiting the chimney before the true crux climbing up high and climbing the arete and/or face out right.  Proper style, leading and protecting this chimney from bottom to top through the squeeze is a typical 5.10. This long and beautiful chimney splitting Hawk Pinnacle’s east face is unique in that both cruxes involve three walls instead of two.  The lower three create space where only a #5 and #6 fit in one of the cracks.  You are essentially climbing a chamber vs a chimney.  The higher version pinches down to squeeze chimney.  To place pro, you are tunneling up the triangular space, obviously not a choice climb for the heavy climber.  Your 2^nd of course can cheat and stem outside (if top roped or no gear placed), but the leader will feel more secure placing gear in the squeeze tunnel formed by three walls.  The final section before it bends right up top is the crux. The fixed rap anchor is at a comfortable and cool ledge just below the summit.   Double 60m rope rap.  Single from #.5 to #6.  Route is airconditioned, little to no sun inside.  Interestingly enough for CA climbers, it is named after a diner in Tucson where climbers and road bikers meet, but there is an old one in Jtree by the same name as well.  Dow

Learning to Fly- 70’-5.11****/ Just to the left of Crossroads Chimney, tucked away in a left leaning corner up high, is Learning to Fly, one of the best 5.11 true trad pitches in the Stronghold.  Scramble up left from the chimney to a decent sized landing area where you have full view of the left facing hanging corner up and right.  Traverse in and start with a #5.  Climb the corner to the top where you can place a #.1, what more can one ask for in terms of variable crack size in one pitch?  After one fist and stack, I chose to turn my back to the wall and chimney the flare for the lower crux section. Once turned back around, you are relying on the power of your left leg out on micro features, jamming with your right foot and enjoying the ride on this sustained beauty to a fixed rap anchor.  Single 60m rope.  Route gets AM sun, PM shade.  Single from #.1 to #5 + off set cams or wires.  Dow

Unnamed- 5.9+PG/

Hawkeye- 5.11-/

Screamer- 2 Pitches-5.7R/ Not a great route, but it gets you to the summit of the pinnacle.  Climb the wide chasm between Learning to Fly and the Dike routes.  The first pitch rides up a chossy, low angled, #6 crack that turns to chimney.  Belay in the belly of a pass-through chimney. The 2^nd pitch stays in the chimney and traverses west over a chockstone and then climbs the left or right wall. If you climb the south wall, you can belay at the top of the Dike routes and jump across back to the north.  From there one can continue 5^th class to the top and then 5^th class back down to a double 60m rope rap from a fixed rap atop the pinnacle between the Dike routes and Learning to Fly or do a single rope rap to the base of Learning to Fly and scramble down.  Single to #6.  Mostly shade as you are deep in the chimney.  Dow

Dike Routes- 5.8R/ (two pieces at the start of the right dike have broken off as of 2023, making this route closer to X as there is nothing to sling.  To climb the left dike, you still need to start on the right one)

Prey for your Sole- 5.11

From Crags to Riches- 5.10+

Routes Listed Right to Left on the South Face as you Approach

Wilkinson’s Sword- 5.10+/

Name Unknown- 150’-5.9PG***/ This is an unusual vertical dike route.  When you can find them, vertical dike routes are always gems.  There is one in Jtree I have climbed just like it.  Start out in a chossy crack above a tree.  There are two seams, take the left one.  You can place plenty of gear in this section as the rock leaves much to be desired.  Soon you reach the dike.  You will get several small off sets or wires in slots along with one very bomber chicken head about mid-way to sling.  There is a lone manky bolt (2024) approximately half way as well.  The upper part of the dike becomes less protectable but also becomes lower angled.  Do a medium to large gear belay in the horizontal on the summit shoulder.  The only fixed rap accessible for this route (2024) is the rap above the dike arete above Learning to Fly.  To reach it, climb up and climbers right to the summit block above the dike routes.  Then downclimb the other side and step across the chimney route Screamer to reach it.  A 70m single rope just gets you down with a short bit of 4^th class to scramble.  Hauling your shoes is worth it for the walk around back to the base of the route.  Single to #3 with off sets and/or wires.  70m rope.  Route gets sun all day.  I saw a coatimundi at the base of this route in February, 2024.  Dow

Fly to New York 5.11+/

Billy the Mountain- 5.10/

Routes Listed Left to Right on the West Face as you Approach

Book of Andy- 190’-5.10***/ In the center of the southwest face of Hawk Pinnacle is an obvious zig zagging crack capped by a massive boulder, this is Book of Andy.  It starts out wide and lower angled but soon gets steep below a small roof.  I protected the roof with a solid #.1.  Mantling this small roof is the crux of the climb.  There are no positive holds, but rather several full body finesse moves at the grade to reach the next cam slot.  The crack opens wide again.  Before a much larger roof, formed by a boulder, you get twin cracks.  You must make a decision to traverse left under it on face or traverse above it via a #4 horizontal.  I chose the upper variation.  After that it is cruiser to a notch just below the summit.  Build a medium gear belay just before topping out, at a stance.  Scramble south up the broad ridge to a double rope fixed rap above a sport route named Summitted for your Approval, 5.11.  Or rap the fixed rap just below the notch in two single 70m raps to the base of Learning to Fly and circumvent back around.  I chose hauling an extra rope up.  Single to #5.  Doubles from #2-#4.  Route gets sun from just before noon on in the winter.  Dow

Submitted for Your Approval- 5.11/

Unnamed- 5.10+PG/

Snakeline- 5.5/